Mohawk River

Mohawk River
Cohoes Falls, near the eastern end of the Mohawk River in Cohoes, New York
Hudson River watershed map showing the Mohawk River
Map
EtymologyNamed for Mohawk Nation
Native nameTeionontatátie (Mohawk)
Location
CountryUnited States
StateNew York
RegionsCentral New York, Capital Region
CountiesOneida, Herkimer, Montgomery, Schenectady, Albany, Rensselaer, Saratoga,
CitiesRome, Utica, Little Falls, Amsterdam, Schenectady, Cohoes
Physical characteristics
SourceEast Branch Mohawk River
 • locationS of Mohawk Hill
 • coordinates43°30′51″N 75°28′02″W / 43.5142362°N 75.4671217°W / 43.5142362; -75.4671217[5]
2nd sourceWest Branch Mohawk River
 • locationW of West Branch
 • coordinates43°22′12″N 75°30′29″W / 43.3700696°N 75.5079556°W / 43.3700696; -75.5079556[6]
Source confluence 
 • locationE of West Branch
 • coordinates43°22′16″N 75°28′6″W / 43.37111°N 75.46833°W / 43.37111; -75.46833[7]
 • elevation932 ft (284 m)[5][6]
MouthHudson River
 • location
Border of Albany County, Saratoga County, and Rensselaer County, New York
 • coordinates
42°45′39″N 73°41′13″W / 42.76083°N 73.68694°W / 42.76083; -73.68694[7]
 • elevation
10 ft (3.0 m)[8]
Length149 mi (240 km)[1]
Basin size3,460 sq mi (9,000 km2)[9]
Discharge 
 • locationBelow Delta Dam
 • minimum15 cu ft/s (0.42 m3/s)[2]
 • maximum8,560 cu ft/s (242 m3/s)
Discharge 
 • locationCohoes[3]
 • average5,908 cu ft/s (167.3 m3/s)[3]
 • minimum6 cu ft/s (0.17 m3/s)[4]
 • maximum200,000 cu ft/s (5,700 m3/s)[4]
Basin features
River systemHudson River
Tributaries 
 • leftLansing Kill, West Canada Creek, East Canada Creek, Caroga Creek, North Chuctanunda Creek, Alplaus Kill
 • rightOriskany Creek, Otsquago Creek, Canajoharie Creek, Schoharie Creek, Plotter Kill
WaterfallsCohoes Falls

The Mohawk River is a 149-mile-long (240 km)[1] river in the U.S. state of New York. It is the largest tributary of the Hudson River. The Mohawk flows into the Hudson in Cohoes, New York, a few miles north of the state capital of Albany.[10] The river is named for the Mohawk Nation of the Iroquois Confederacy. A major waterway, in the early 19th century, the river's east-west valley provided the setting and water for development of the Erie Canal, as a key to developing New York. The largest tributary, the Schoharie Creek, accounts for over one quarter (26.83%) of the Mohawk River's watershed. Another main tributary is the West Canada Creek, which makes up for 16.33% of the Mohawk's watershed.

  1. ^ a b U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline data. The National Map, accessed October 3, 2011
  2. ^ "USGS 01336000 Mohawk River Below Delta Dam Near Rome NY". waterdata.usgs.gov. United States Geological Survey. Retrieved August 21, 2021.
  3. ^ a b "USGS 01357500 MOHAWK RIVER AT COHOES NY". waterdata.usgs.gov. United States Geological Survey. Retrieved November 3, 2014.
  4. ^ a b "USGS 01357500 Mohawk River at Cohoes NY". USGS. USGS. Retrieved 3 November 2014.
  5. ^ a b "East Branch Mohawk River". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior.
  6. ^ a b "West Branch Mohawk River". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior.
  7. ^ a b "Mohawk River". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior.
  8. ^ Mouth elevation derived from Google Earth search using GNIS mouth coordinates.
  9. ^ "Mohawk River Watershed - NYS Dept. of Environmental Conservation - New York State Department of Environmental Conservation". dec.ny.gov. dec.ny.gov. 2019. Retrieved 31 May 2019. data
  10. ^ Mohawk River Archived 2005-03-18 at the Wayback Machine, The Columbia Gazetteer of North America